Perils of writing stories

Has anyone else started writing a story in the first person and without realising it changed to the third person. I have discovered it a couple of times when I started proof reading.

Also have you ever accidentally switched the names of the characters somewhere in the middle without realising it?

I recently wrote something, decided on a name change, did find and replace but two typos of the old name managed to slip through. I felt very embarrassed but the validators must have spotted it because it got corrected. Thanks validators.

Not I. I have so far only written one story and haven't dared to publish it. I never noticed you doing that, was it before it was proof-read?

I've never done it unintentionally. I have occasionally done it as a bit of an experiment or a personal challenge. It can be tricky to pull off successfully. Done the accidental name thing, but I do try where possible not to.

I identified the First/Third person problems before submitting, but I have picked up one name error and a couple of typos after publishing, which the admins have been kind enough to correct.

The funniest one I have ever found in mainstream writing is in the current Kindle edition of Fred Forsyth's 'Fourth Protocol' where it has "Torbay" instead of 'Tobruk'. I don't recall the British 8th Army fighting Rommel in Torbay. Basil Faulty yes, but not Monty.

Hilarious! They must have been thinking of Churchill's famous speech: We will fight them on the beaches!

One of my stories was set during the Second World War. One of my characters says that "the Germans will never get over their heavy defeat at Dunkirk and the war will be over my Christmas". I actually stole that line from Captain Mainwaring of Dads Army. I thought the jingoism was hilarious but a whole batch of comments followed accusing me of knowing nothing about Second World War history.

It seems that it not always advisable to try and use "delicate irony and pointed epigram to take the place of broad humour".

I find the 1st/3rd person switch interesting. It never occurred to me that people started stories in one voice, but then switched it. I've always thought of 1st/3rd person stories as very different, because the unseen narrator is a character different from the protagonist, and usually facilitates moving to scenes from various perspectives.

Now that I've seen it, I can understand it but it was surprising at first. Shows how different everyone's process is.

Here is the exact quotes.

" James Walter Roberts had been a warrant officer in the Second World War, captured at Torbay and imprisoned in North Africa, Italy and finally eastern Germany. He had stayed on in the Army after the war and risen to the rank of colonel, retiring in 1972."

"From Roberts Heights I was posted to the Witwatersrand Rifles/De La Rye Regiment, which had been amalgamated after the losses at Torbay to form the Wits/De La Rye."

The Fourth Protocol (p. 158). Random House. Kindle Edition.

The Fourth Protocol (p. 174). Random House. Kindle Edition.

How many people said "Stupid boy!"

Yes you have to be careful with satire, some think it is serious and genuine. See Titania McGrath for details. She is an amazing troller.